Outdoor recreation is a $1.2 Trillion contributor to the U.S. economy that has broader benefits around physical and mental health, community strength and resiliency, and jobs, yet its current funding status and funding future are challenged by various forces that may limit Americans’ ability to access recreation and its benefits for generations to come.

On June 4, 2024, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) released “Recreation Funding in America: Current Results and Future Insights.” The comprehensive study conducted by Southwick Associates, Inc. on behalf of ORR aggregates and analyzes current federal funding streams for outdoor recreation and identifies potential future threats to these funding sources including changing energy demands, evolving participation, impacts of inflation, weather events and climate change, and stagnant appropriations trends.

The report highlights the pressing need for innovative solutions to ensure sustainable funding for the $1.2 trillion recreation economy and the millions of Americans and communities who rely on it in the face of these threats.